7.6 Strengths and Limitations

Page last updated: 2012

This evaluation attempted to assess three aspects of the GP Super Clinics Program: the implementation, establishment and operations aspects.
The results of the evaluation should be interpreted within the limitations of the methods. Samples in patient and clinicians surveys which provided quantitative data were volunteer samples suggesting caution in attempts at generalisation. General practitioners completing the survey represented 55% of participants in the clinician survey while representing 42% of the FTEs employed in the seven clinics. The higher proportion of GPs responding the survey is likely to cause biases in results. Patient selection was potentially influenced by reception staff and is thus another source of bias.

The community stakeholders selected for the interviews were provided by the GP Super Clinic Directors. These were those that had worked with the GP Super Clinics in their early stage of their development. The small numbers that participated in interviews, and that they were identified by the GP Super Clinics is a further limitation of the evaluation. The evaluation did not and did not intend to capture broader views of stakeholders.

The results of the surveys were complemented by and aligned with results of interviews held with a large number and diverse range of clinicians and patients. A process of thematic analysis was used to identify common themes to optimise rigor in the qualitative data.

Despite these limitations, many of the results accord with those identified empirically. However, the GP Super Clinics Program is in its infancy and will require time before more robust evaluation to assess outcomes can be applied.